"...there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah..."

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been yet another great and hot week here in San Antonio, Texas. I can't express how thankful I am to be a missionary and to have this opportunity to serve God and His children. It brings me great comfort to live the gospel and to feel of the influence of the Spirit on a daily basis. The Spirit is truly one of the greatest gifts that we can have here on this earth. I would like to share one scripture that I thought was neat in my studies. It is in 2 Nephi 2:8 "8 Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise."

How truly important it is to help others know of the gospel and to help them feel of the peace and comfort that comes through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We can better help others as we ourselves strengthen our love for our Savior and gain a greater understanding of His Atonement. What a great opportunity we have as members of the church to help others find and follow the path that leads back to our Heavenly Father.

This week was a very spiritual week for me. On Tuesday, we had the opportunity to have our Zone Conference and there were many wonderful insights and teachings shared. One of the themes for the conference was the importance of prayer in receiving revelation. We went through many different practices and role plays on how we can better help our investigators pray and help them in their conversion process. We practiced how we can not only say a prayer at the beginning and the end of a lesson, but to prayer in the middle of the lesson to help those that we teach know of spiritual truths. We also practiced how to help others resolve their concerns about praying and how we can better help them realize that they are praying to their Father in Heaven who desires to hear from them. I always love these Zone conferences because of the spirit that I feel as I learn more skills and strengthen my testimony of the gospel.

We were able to have a great lesson with John who has been investigating the church and we had a wonderful time talking about principles from the restoration as well as Lehi's vision of the tree of life. It was neat to see his desire to learn more and for his knowledge already of gospel principles. We were able to have his
lesson in the Johnson home and it was neat seeing the interaction and the fellowship from the members in sharing their testimonies and love for the gospel. We have been making a big focus in helping him come to church so we hope to see him come this next Sunday. I am excited to see the member support and to see him grow these next few weeks.

We also have been teaching Stevan who has shown desire to be baptized and to learn more about the church. On Sunday, we had a great lesson about strengthening our faith and the wonderful blessings that we receive as we go to church. His work schedule has been crazy so he has been having a difficult time coming to church. Luckily he has been getting Sunday's off so we hope that he can start coming to church on a consistent basis. We are excited to help him feel of the blessings of the gospel and the peace that it will bring to him in his life as he faces trials and challenges.

We weren't able to meet with Reyes this week because of his busy schedule but we hope to get in contact with him soon and to see him progressing in the gospel.

The District has been doing great! It is Elder Williams and I, Sister Redd and Sister Gillespie who cover the Alamo 2nd YSA ward, and Sister Nate and Sister Judd who cover Helotes and Sonoma Ranch where I previously served. It has been neat following up with Helotes and Sonoma ranch on a few investigators that I once taught and are progressing. This upcoming week for district meeting we will be focusing on the Importance in conversion through reading the Book of Mormon and attending church. As we help our investigators live these basic gospel habits, they will be able to become truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I still have a lot to learn but I am grateful for this opportunity to serve.

At church this past Sunday, Elder Williams and I were able to sing 'Nearer My God to Thee' in sacrament meeting. It was a neat experience to feel of the power of music and for its ability to invite the Spirit in great measures. I love music and its ability to invite the spirit into our lives and for its ability to draw us closer to our Savior.  D&C 25:12 "For my soul delighteth in the song of the heart; yea, the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me, and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads."

Thank you for the prayers! I truly feel of your love everyday. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Munro